Description of Gandalf

In the Fellowship of the Ring:
P32 - Gandalf - "An old man was driving it alone. He
wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He
had a long white beard, and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the
brim of his hat.
P61 - Gandalf - "... Gandalf looked older and more
careworn."
"His hair was perhaps whiter than it had been then, and his beard and
eyebrows
were perhaps longer, and his face more lined with care and wisdom; but
his
eyes were as bright as ever...
P297 - Gandalf - "Gandalf was shorter in stature
than the other two (Elrond and Glorfindel); but his long white hair,
his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like
some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy
brows his dark eyes were set like coals and could leap suddenly into
fire."top

Gandalf, Another Name

Gandalf

In Valinor, Gandalf's name was Olorin.
Wisest of the Maiar, his home was in Irmo's Lorien. He also often
went to the house of Nienna and from her learned pity and
patience. He loved the elves and walked unseen among them or in
the same form. Thus they did not know that he was the source of
fair visions and wise promptings
that he put into their hearts.
Later, he was the friend of all the Children of
Iluvatar, pitying their sorrows. If they listened to him, they
lost their despair and the dark imaginations that come of it.
He was chosen to be one of the Istari sent to Arda
as representatives of the Valar to counter Melkor's influence through
Sauron. Instead of acting directly, they were to train the
Children of Iluvatar
to think and fight evil for themselves - to grow up. In order to
do
this, much power and many memories had to be removed from the
Istari.
Also, they took on the forms of old men as suited counselors and
investigators, rather than active heroes.
In one story, Gandalf gave the Elessar jewel from
Yavanna to
Galadriel to give to Aragorn, as a token that the Children of Iluvatar
had not been forgotten by the Valar, and would be given aid.
Gandalf watched for the doings of Sauron who would
and
did come again. He found the One Ring as it tried to make its way
back to Sauron, but had been intercepted by hobbits with the aid of the
Valar. He aided the forming of the Fellowship to have the One
Ring destroyed rather than used, and was a prime mover seeing to that
end as requested by the Valar of him and because he believed in the
mission.
He did have to fight the balrog of Moria, as should
not have happened to a Counselor. He defeated the balrog but his
form of Gandalf the Grey died, returning to Valinor. The Valar returned
him as Gandalf the White, with greater power for the escalated battle
they knew would come, and he the only Istar left.
As were other wizards, he was quick to anger.
But his anger was mild, gentled by understanding and humor. He
had the pity and patience learned from Nienna. He was humble and
therefore able to care about even the people considered lesser, such as
the hobbit folk,
which developed into his most important contact.

References: Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion:
"Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", Unfinished Talestop